The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1887-05-12
SALVATION ARMY.
"Harppy Bob" Uuder Sentence OF Death, Gives
Ills opinion oft.


Robert Van Brunt, lately prominent
member OF the Salvation Army, is Wudcr
sentence Of death at Rochester, for tue mur-
der of young Roy. From an interview with
a reporter Of the Democrat this extract was
made:
Ivan BIunt, you seem to place little rcli-
ance upon the final result Of this hoped for
appeal to the higher courts and you seem
TO clearly realize that your life is nearly
ended, and that the dreadful event eau ut
most be postponed but little. Now, with
these grave convictions in your mind, [
wish you would tell me something about
the true inwardncss of this Salvation Ann
to which you belonged"
Van Brunt who is only twenty three years
or age, mcditatcd moment eyed his ulrs-
tioher cnrlousIy, and then laughed Dl in
q pcrculmr manLCr to himself.
Il think, he said, after u little. 81 thirII
there arcNfcw good people yet in tL1 army;
l mean people that really want to bIuvliL
mankind, Gutl tell you most of the s0ltIicrs,
ana officers particularly, are thiu!;inT m0Ic
OF Womankind,' and the face of the man
who in due course Of the law had less than
ten days before his death on the glilows.
took on wicked lcGr, which startled even
the experienced interviewer, WHO was npn-
tally, but none the less uncrringly, Under-
standing the testimony of ono who Ertw
that he was facing almost certain ii not i'm
mediate death.
81 ought to know this Salvation Atmy."
continued the condemned murdered, H., t!i,-
tale accadding strange emphasis to h.ScIH.
did words. u ought to know them; A!vc
been there myself and the officers h@vc
talked with me about it,
''Thcrc isa class OF young girls drawn n.
to the meetings" he went on, "who al,
easily enough influenced 10y the Offices.
and arc controlled by the officers and m~n
for their own purposes and for bad purposes
and those are girls they are after. | ll0r't
know as l can just exactly describe the in
| flucncc they have over them, but it Just con-
trolls them, and lots Of them have this in.
ilucnce." ''Perhaps they mcsmcriz2 th2tn, -
quietly suggested the newspaper mau.
Yes" said the slayer Of Roy AMI The N:;!tnr
of his sister, Il put it all down u3 sDlac.
thing like that"
You know this is the general character
OF these soldiers You 0ssocil.ci will, thcr. -
persisted the newspaper nau.
',1cs; l know it from my own "Nn,ri.
cncc, and | have talked it all over with the
officers"
II imagine you mean your observations,
not your personal experience"
| "1eS; | mean my observation. ." ant;
again the uncnnny, malicious expression
stole over the features of the man, and tN.'
visitor did not regret that his disagrc2ab'c
task was nearly ended.
Ivan Brunt,' saih he, "rrom wha; y>I,
| know OF this army, and from the nosijinG
in which you find yourself, what do yu .
| think of the general effect of the prart:c,
| Of this Salvation Armyy'
The witness was Il competent one aGU il
WAS the last question the intcrvjcN e. ever
expected to address to Robert Van t;ruMt
and the answer came with Il rapidi,v th,,
| carried conviction with ii:
Il told you some good pcop'c g. into
| tie Salvation Army, but the enthusiasm
wears off il two or three weeks and thvy.
| get to be as bad as the rest. If the SALIVA.
! ton Army altogether was swept from The
earth it would be better; better for every
| body"